Lessons in Remarketing

You’ve likely noticed it. You’re on a website, checked out their product, but weren’t quite ready to make the purchase. Then, the next day you’re on Facebook or on your favourite entertainment site, you notice an ad for that very same product.
It’s remarketing (also known as retargeting) and it’s a huge opportunity for marketers.
“When you think about how a person buys a product, they’re not always ready to buy right away. It’s normal for companies to follow up with a potential client, and remarketing is a form of follow up,” explains Darrell Keezer, CEO of Candybox Marketing, a digital marketing company that offers remarketing as one of its many services. “Remarketing is a process of advertising to people who have interacted with a brand but not converted – a way to remind people about your product or service in their entire web experience.”
So, how does it work?
Maureen McCabe of McCabe Marketing explains in her article, “What is Remarketing and how does it work” that “Remarketing ads aren’t generalized advertisements like a TV commercial. Instead, they are highly targeted to users that have already visited your site.” They can even be targeted to the exact page on your website – like cart abandonment, for example. “If a customer abandoned their online shopping cart before finalizing a transaction, then they are extremely likely to be serious about buying your company’s products. Remarketing is great in this case, because it makes sure that the customer doesn’t forget, change their mind, or settle for a competitor.” (Source)How do customers feel about remarketing?
Because remarketing is largely dependent on tracking a user’s browser experience/history, the fear is that customers may feel threatened by this behaviour. Some may even worry that it’s creepy. Darrell disagrees, “People often fear what’s new, but remarketing is very helpful in a purchasing process. It makes advertising much more relevant to people. People do not need to see ads that they are not interested in, and remarketing specifically targets ads that we know the consumer has an interest in.”
What impact does Ad Blocking have on remarketing?
Ad Blocking built up steam in 2015, and users are beginning to install software and applications that block digital ads altogether (CAMP’s recent article in January touched on the subject). Remarketing may not be impacted by the rise of this software, as in any Pay per Click (PPC) campaign, advertisers are charged when customers click on the ad. “It’s important to note that under 10% of online users have installed ad blockers, and less than 2% of mobile users have it,” details Darrell, who further explains, “If a consumer is tech savvy enough to install an ad blocker, they likely aren’t the ones clicking on digital ads at all. If anything, it works like an unsubscribe option, narrowing down a company’s potential target list.”
When implemented effectively, remarketing can be an incredibly useful digital marketing tool – one that provides customized, specialized, targeted marketing to consumers.
ABOUT THE AUTHORRaised in a small town in Newfoundland, Nadine headed west after graduating and fell in love with the bustle of Toronto. Her true passion is marketing and she’s spent the last 15 years in marketing roles, and is the co-founder and CEO of the Canadian Association of Marketing Professionals (CAMP). When she’s not connecting with other marketers through CAMP, Nadine is at the soccer field, gym, or swimming pool cheering on her two favourite munchkins, trying not to become that mom everyone fears.